Demons
by Asrith33
Summary: In the year X677, the Kingdom of Fiore exterminated the last of the dragons, creatures believed to be devil incarnate. Now, after their return from Tenrou island and victory in the magic games, the Slayers of Fairy Tail have disappeared. More summary inside. Rated M for language and suggestive and/or violent content
1. Chapter 1: Escape

**Edited: 12/28/2014**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, but I can dream, right?**

**_Chapter 1: Escape_**

Year: X677

The king hurried down the long palace hallway, trying not to trip over his long robes as he headed for the grand gazebo. A servant kept up with his quick pace, dabbing a cloth to his forehead to clear away the sweat. Another servant handed him a set of flashcards and quickly veered away, no doubt hurrying to attend to his other duties.

Finally, he reached the Gazebo and stopped at the exit, breathing hard as he scanned the speech in his hand. A herald stepped out onto the gazebo and loudly introduced him to the crowd, which gained a grand response from the huge audience gathered outside the palace.

He straightened his robes as the herald stepped away, quickly disappearing in one of the side entrances. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out into the sunlight, momentarily blinded by the bright rays shining on his face. For a moment, he was deafened by the cheers of the adoring crowd, all screaming their praises to their glorious victory.

He raised his hand, and the cheering increased in volume. He reveled in the sound of their voices, drinking the crowd's energy as if it was some kind of holy water. Finally, the crowd began to quieten and he took a deep breath, holding back the nervousness that was threatening to swallow him whole.

When all was quiet, and only the sound of the soft breeze could be heard from his lofty height, he began.

FT

_A man staggered through the darkened woods, blood gushing from his side as he pushed his body onward. In the distance, the cruel laughter of his pursuers taunted him, and the snarls of their dogs only made his feet move faster. The wound in his side ached terribly, but he gritted his teeth and only speed up, working through the pain. He needed to get to the others as fast as possible and warn them. The fate of an entire civilization rested in his hands._

_FT_

"Citizens; the day has finally come, the day that humankind is no longer plagued by the monsters that have hunted us for centuries!"

A cheer rose, and the joy and relief that had been so long awaited finally began to emerge, spreading among the crowd like an infectious fog. The king laughed, encouraging the celebration.

He continued his speech, "We have waited for this moment for decades, nigh, centuries, and we will not be disappointed by its outcome! As I speak, the last of the creatures are being driven from their caves, hunted to extinction."

FT

_Somehow, he reached the cave, and as he stumbled inside he heard the hushed voices of the caves contents. Moving as fast as his wounded body allowed, he dived into the darkness of the cave, seeking out the source of the voices. Nearing the edge of a ring of light, he attempted to cry out, but blood in his throat garbled his words. His body jerked to a halt, and violent coughs wracked his body, and blood spattered on the stone floor. He fainted then, his body crumpling onto the ground in a bloody heap._

_Someone inside noticed the commotion, and quickly headed towards him. The hulking form of a dragon neared him, and he sighed in relief. They just might make it._

_FT_

"The expense of our country's resources, and the effort put forward by the Rune Knights and the Dragon Slayers, has been worthwhile. In moments, the last of the Dragons, including their cowardly king, will be obliterated, and we will take back the holy lands." The crowd cheered once again. "We have lost much in the name of this seemingly hopeless crusade, but we will lose no more. Our lands will soon be safe, and we will prosper for as long as this world lasts."

The cheers from the crowd were deafening as the king stepped back into the palace. The people were chanting: "Down with the demons! Long live the king!" The king smiled a she strode back down the hallway. Another chore marked off his checklist, now on to the next.

The king quickly turned a corner and servants opened two large doors on his right. He quickly entered, and was greeted by all his generals, and the newly formed magic council. He nodded to them and then seated himself at the head of the table.

"How goes the hunt, General," he said, turning to a man on his right."

"Excellent sir, we are moments away from victory, just as you said in you speech." The king nodded his head and then turned his attention to the head of the magic council, Damian.

"I want to hear this plan you had for the dragon slayers," he began. "I hope you don't have any intention of letting them all go their own merry way. The power they possess is far too great; Acnologia is proof enough of that."

Damian nodded grimly. "No, I have no intention of keeping the slayers alive, even the ones who helped us. We also don't have the means to keep over one hundred individuals possessing indefinite magical power contained for a lifetime."

The king narrowed his eyes. "So what do you suggest?"

Damian took a deep breath. "The slayers who remained with the dragons can be executed without any trouble; the ones who joined our side however, are a completely different matter. The masses are in awe of the dragon slayers, thus they are protected. If we just decided to execute several dozen innocent soldiers, the authority of the kingdom would immediately be questioned. So, in preparation of this, I had you scientists implant microscopic bomb lachrimas in the Slayers skin. The moment we receive word that the dragons are dead, the Lachrimas will detonate, and we can say they all died in the line of duty."

The king's eyes widened at that, and then a devilish smirk slithered its way across his face. "Excellent work Damian, I expected nothing less from you."

"You honor me your highness," Damian said, bowing his head in respect.

"Well," the king said, looking out at his council. "Now that that's taken care of, let's move on to the next order of business."

FT

_"__Someone is here."_

_A huge, moth-like dragon strode gracefully across the stone floor. Nearing the entrance of the cave, she spotted a man lying still on the ground. The copper scent of blood tinted the air, and her eyes widened as she realized who it was. _

_"__Igneel, come quick," she cried, moving quickly to the human's side. She lowered her head as the humans stuttered, trying to speak past the blood in his throat. She listened as a choked message fell from his lips, and cried out in dismay as he died promptly after._

_She turned as Igneel approached from behind, his crimson scales gleaming in the light from the cave. "What did he say, Grandeeney?"_

_"__He came to warn us. The slayers are on their way, we have a few minutes before they arrive," she said, striding past the red dragon, back into the cave._

_Igneel nodded and walked back with her. Inside the cave, young children and women from the outer villages had taken up residence inside. They had been holed up here for little more than a month, and the population within the cave had shrunken quickly as dragons and dragon slayers left to battle the army. The small amount of people still present in the cave was the families of the slayers that had died in the line of duty. Some of them were kin to traitors who had decided to remain with the dragons and their allies, but the relation wasn't held against them, as they were now being hunted by their own family and friends._

_The few dragons that remained had insisted on protecting the families of their students, or remaining with Igneel in order to protect him. They noticed Igneel coming and rose, knowing that something serious was coming._

_"__We must act quickly if we are to live to see tomorrow," Igneel began. "Skiadrum, Grandeeney, Weisslogia, you all escort the families into the catacombs." Grandeeney looked as if she wanted to object, but one look from Igneel silenced her. "Metalicana, you come with me. We'll meet up with Atlas and the others and attempt to hold the slayers back."_

_He looked at Grandeeney. "We may only be able to get you a few minutes, get those families down there; the priority is the women and children." Grandeeney nodded and strode away, Weisslogia and Skiadrum reluctantly following behind._

_Igneel and Metalicana watched as she got the humans moving. They scurried about and quickly picked up their things as Weisslogia opened the entranceto the catacombs. Igneel couldn't help but feel a bit of sorrow as a head of spikey pink hair disappeared into the catacombs with the crowd. In moments, the cave was empty and the entrance sealed._

_Igneel was the first to move, heading for the entrance of the cave. Metalicana trailed behind him, preparing himself for the battle that was to come._

_"__You're not thinking of the brat are ya," Metallicana asked, shouldering Igneel playfully._

_"__Why not," Igneel retorted. "He's the only pupil I ever accepted, and the first hybrid ever born between dragons and humans. Don't tell me you're not thinking of your son also."_

_"__I never said that."_

_Igneel smiled a fang toothed grin as he reached the entrance of the cave. "Then let's make sure they make it through this."_

_Metalicana smiled as well, and they both spread their wings and took flight. Igneel roared, declaring his presence to the enemy below. Multiple attacks immediately followed after, roars of dozens of elements hurtling towards him. Igneel soared higher, rising on a draft as the attacks fell short. He could see the dragon slayer running through the trees, now changing their course to follow Igneel and Metalicana._

_Igneel flew onward, leading the enemy to the last fighting force that the dragons possessed, ad away from the innocent families now hiding deep within the earth. He would defeat the enemy, even if it meant dying for his cause. It was the only way to protect his people. The only way to protect his son._

**Yup, just made this on a whim (nervous laugh) yea, not really. I've been mulling over this particular piece for almost a month because I really didn't see myself as capable of writing a story this complex. The main problem was this chapter. When I imagine my stories, I often see them as a visual thing (almost like a movie) and that's how I set my standards, only better; so the switch scene was almost like what you would see in movies. I would appreciate it if you guys commented whether it worked out or just killed the stories mood. I feel really good about this story now that I have my first chapter out for you to see! I don't care if you cuddle me with fluff or poke me in the eye with a stick, just tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2: Discovery

**_Chapter 2: There Was a Kingdom Of Dragons…_**

Year: X777

Makarov Dreyar was on a mission, one he felt that he was entirely unprepared for. His trek up this god-forsaken mountain had left him winded and feeling as old as he actually was. Upon reaching his destination at the top of the mountain, he had gratefully seated himself on a smooth stone and was enjoying the view of the summer sun setting. He closed his eyes and hummed softly as the world around him began to still and everything became quiet.

These were the moments he waited for, constantly; quiet, peaceful moments that took him away from the sounds, sights, and smells of the city. The woods were an untamed place that was constantly bustling with activity, always moving in an un-traceable rhythm; yet still managed to be the most peaceful pockets of land dotting this huge country.

The sound of boots crunching against gravel shattered the silence and Makarov grunted in annoyance. The thing about peace, he thought to himself, is that it never lasts very long. He reluctantly opened his eyes to see Gildarts Clive standing before him. The young man had been only recently appointed an S-class mage, but it seemed like it had been forever ago when he came marching back triumphantly from Tenroujima, the guild's sacred land.

Gildarts sat upon the stone ground heavily and turned so that he faced Makarov. "You takin' a nap old man?" Makarov only grunted in response, not impressed by the younger man's jeers.

"So," Gildarts began, "Why'd you call me all the way out here old man, shouldn't I be back at the guild, keeping an eye on the kids while you take this mission."

Makarov nodded, "That would be preferable, however..." Gildarts was put off by the older man's hesitation; he had never heard Makarov with such an uncertain tone in his voice.

"I'm skeptical about the details of this mission; it's all very strange if you ask me." Makarov pulled his pipe out from under his robe, quickly lighting it and taking a long puff from the old wooden pipe. Rings of smoke drifted lazily into the air and dissipated as a light wind tore them away. Gildarts watched them disappear before continuing the conversation.

"Are you talking about the info that our employer sent us?" Makarov nodded and took another puff from his pipe.

In the last six months, strange things had been happening all over the country. Lights could be spotted surrounding areas where abandoned villages had once been, an earthquake doubled the size of the Clover Canyon, unnatural darkness would plague entire cities in the middle of the day. Just two months ago, Hargeon was nearly destroyed by several freak tornadoes. Most people claimed that these events were purely coincidental and that Mother Nature was just throwing a little tantrum.

Others thought differently. An unidentified group of Fiore citizens had expressed concern to the magic council, suspecting that elemental wizards had been the cause of the events, and wanted an investigation started. The council simply waved their pleas to the side without a second thought. With no one else to turn to, the people submitted jobs to the wizard guilds, hoping to find a sympathetic ear among the listeners; but it was all for naut.

No wizard wanted to waste time on the job when it offered such a small reward and little to no detail about the mission itself. Discouraged, the people eventually gave up, but not before making one last ditch effort. They contacted Fairy Tail, and they responded. Makarov had been intrigued by the mission and felt sympathetic for the group of concerned citizens, so he agreed to personally look into the mission. One the news reached the group; they sent back a large parcel filled with hundreds of papers.

The papers were old news clippings, smatterings of writing, small journals and even some confidential files that had probably belonged to the government. The parcel also included extensive notes about their employer's suspicions, as well as detailed info on where good starting points could be. It took Makarov a week to sort out just the first few pages of the pile and to decipher their employer's chicken-scratch handwriting. He messaged his employer to propose a meeting, but they had refused, simply stating that they wished for their identity to remain confidential until the case was solved. Without anything else to go on, he studied the material.

It all eventually led him here. He had decided to bring Gildarts along when the thought that he could be walking into a trap crossed his mind; not that he couldn't handle himself, but for the assurance that bringing along a man who can destroy anything with his bare hands gave him.

Makarov sighed and pocketed his pipe, wishing he had never expressed an interest in the mission. He hopped down from the rock he had been sitting on and dusted himself off before turning north of the setting sun.

There, tucked neatly into the mountains side, a building slightly jutted out from its rough face. Makarov was impressed with the buildings camouflage, if he hadn't been looking for it, he would never have found it. The building had been cut from the mountains natural stone and seemed to extend into the earth. The natural rock surrounding it blended seamlessly with the mountain, but the unnaturally smooth lines of doors and ventilation shafts gave it away.

The two men slowly made their way towards the building, ready for any possible attackers that could spring out at them. But none came.

The sun had finally set in the distance and the world had become black as the crescent moon slowly began to rise in the sun's place. They reached the front of the building and could immediately tell that it was abandoned. The iron door had rusted and fallen down long ago, plants had covered an entire wall and the structures few windows were broken.

It was eerily quiet, save for the sound of wind blowing through the trees. Makarov steeped forward, trying to be quiet despite the fact that he and Gildarts were alone. He stepped through the doorway, muttering an incantation as he entered the building. A small glowing orb shone white and illuminated the room. Gildarts silently stepped in behind his master, alert for any threat that could dwell within.

White light shone upon an abandoned laboratory. Dusty beakers, bunson-burners, test tubes, and many other tools, sat upon shelves lining the walls. Many of the wooden shelves had rotted away and the glassware had shattered on the floor. Plants had broken through the stone wall and a web of roots decorated the ceiling and walls.

The middle of the room held tools not found in the typical laboratory. Stone tables were covered in broken drill bits, cracked hammers, bent chisels, and dilapidated work tools. A crate of hard hats sat next to the table. Makarovs eyes scanned everything, taking in this unusual scene. Gildarts had circled the room ahead of him and was examining a dusty display case.

He lifted his hand to wipe away the dust from the glass, only for it to shatter under his touch. He winced as he caught the look Makarov sent him, but continued to examine the case. Inside, several picture frames depicted members of the team that had run the facility and a few more interesting items.

He pulled them out and gently placed them on one of the stone tables, not wanting to damage them. "Master, come look at this." Makarov walked up next to him and quickly seated himself on a stool by the table. The white orb grew brighter as Makarov examined the items, his forehead creasing with interest. He picked up one of them, holding it close to his face for a better look.

The object was round, smooth and flat and had a razor sharp edge, as Makarov soon discovered when it cut his finger. It was a strange object, it wasn't metal and clearly it hadn't been forged, it was much too small to be made by human hands, being barley larger than his thumb. Even magic couldn't achieve the perfect biological quality this thing had about it.

"What do you think it is?" Gildarts asked, watching as Makarov gently replaced the object.

Makarov muttered, "I have a hunch…" He picked up the other object, a stone of some sort. It had a pinkish tinge to it, almost like an Opal or Chalcedony, but it also had tinges of Sapphire, and Emerald; he even thought he saw flecks of gold floating inside. He looked back to the small disk and around the old building, an idea taking root inside his mind.

"I think they might have been trying to mine this stone. Look at all the broken tools." Makarov gestured around the room and he could see Gildarts putting the pieces together. Still, the other man couldn't help but feel that something was off. He tapped the smooth disk sitting on the table.

"What about this thing? They wouldn't have this just sitting around if they didn't need it."

Makarov hopped off his stool and hurried over to one of the tool tables, taking the disk with him. Makarov hummed as he found what he was looking for and gestured Gildarts over. The younger man squatted down on the floor next to Makarov, who was examining an old magic-powered jackhammer.

Unlike the rest of the tools, this one was undamaged and looked as if it was taken better care of when it was in use. Makarow lifted the machine to reveal its tip. Gildarts gasped, the bit appeared to be made of the same material as the disk.

Makarov held the disk up to the bit for comparison, but it was unneeded, it was plain to see that the two materials were one and the same. Makarov retrieved the stone and pressed the tip of the disk to the stones surface. He drew his hand along the stones surface, and the disk left a white trail in its wake. The disk could scratch the stone.

Everything clicked into place as the two looked around the room once more. When the researchers had first found the stone, they most likely tried the scientific approach and when that didn't work; they went for brute strength, which seemed to have worked fairly well.

Makarov scratched his head as he tried to fit all this information into the bigger picture. How did all of this connect to the strange events that had been occurring? It didn't; while whatever had happened here was interesting, it didn't have anything to do with a problem caused by magic. They were back at square one, now with more questions than they had started with.

Gildarts made one last run through of the room to make sure they hadn't missed anything important, when he spotted something odd. In the side of the wall, plants roots had crept down from the ceiling and crept into the tiny cracks and crevices in the walls stone surface. Many roots had met up and had become tangled in a corner in the middle of the wall; but instead of spreading out, they began to run in smooth lines, one diagonal to the floor, and one lateral.

Gildarts raised his hand up to the stone wall. His hand hovered over the stone and he felt a slight breeze seep between the roots. Frowning, he pressed his palms firmly against it. A bright light flashed, blinding him before fading just as quickly as it had come. Instead of a stone wall, a tunnel roughly cut into the stone stretched before him, disappearing into the darkness. Makarov silently stepped beside him, the white orb following behind.

Their eyes met for only an instant, but they both knew that they must follow the tunnel. They plunged into the darkness; the Master's light like a candle compared to it. Makarov made the light shine brighter, but it did nothing, only seeming to make the darkness thicker in front of them. They trudged through the darkness for what felt like eternity, the floor slowly sloping downward as they went.

Somewhere towards the tunnels end, a faint glow tinted the walls of the cave. Gildarts quickened his pace, almost running now as they hurried for the steadily growing light. Makarov's conjured light slowly flickered away then died completely as they reached the tunnels end. When they reached a final bend in the tunnels path they were met with blinding light, their eyes squinting in some modicum of protection.

When their eyes had adjusted and they had stepped into this new space, they had to rub their eyes to be sure they were not being deceived. The two mages had stepped into an impossibly huge stone cavern, the ceiling disappearing out of sight and the walls extending forever in all directions. But that's not what the two Fairy Tail mages noticed, what they noticed were the giant crystals filling the entire cavern.

Crystals of all shapes and sizes reached towards the ceiling. Many had broken in half and collapsed under their own weight, and others leaned dangerously against one another. The vast amount of crystals looked like larger versions of the one they found in the laboratory. Piles of broken machinery gathered around the cavern entrance, and ancient work lights dotted the forest of crystal.

Gildarts hesitated, and then began to move forward, summoning his own light orb. Makarov moved slowly behind him, mouth agape as he gazed at the spectacle before him. There was a clear cut path in the stone floor with dozens of branch offs that disappeared between the crystal trunks. Makarov felt even smaller than normal when he found himself craning his neck to see the top of a crystal next to him. There was no end in sight.

Gildarts turned to look at Makarov, "What do you think they were doing here?" The guild master just shook his head; he had no words to describe his thoughts. Gildarts took a turn around a particularly wide crystal, then abruptly stopped, eyes widening in surprise. Makarov raised an eyebrow; "What is it Gildarts? There couldn't possibly be anything else as surprising as all this in here."

Gildarts wordlessly stepped out of the way for Makarov to see. He stepped forward, and realized that they were on a ledge overlooking a deep depression, a crater more like, in the caverns floor. But that's not what grabbed his attention. In the center of the crater, a single crystal jutted up towards the endless blackness of the cavern, disappearing out of sight. Scaffolding had been built all around the crystal, slowly winding its way up the crystals length. More piles of machinery surrounded the crystal, as well as spilled crates full of discs like the one in the lab.

Gildarts moved suddenly, sliding down the steep walls of the crater, he quickly came to the bottom. "Where are you going?" Makarov yelled. "There's something inside the crystal," Gildarts yelled back, already heading for the crystals scaffolding. Makarov sighed and quickly began to grow in size, dwarfing Gildarts in a manner of seconds. In three quick strides he was on the craters floor and standing directly next to the crystal. Gildarts arrived just seconds after.

Makarov shrunk down and the two climbed the scaffolding together, Gildarts leading the way. They found the 'something' quickly, and neither of them were prepared for what it was.

A boy.

It wasn't a normal boy though. Through the cloudy layers of crystal they could make out wings, a tail, a small pair of horns, and dark scales covering the youth's body. The crystal had had chunks taken out of it in this spot as whoever had started the operation tried to dig him out. They had nearly gotten to him, so why did they abandon it?

Gildarts tentatively placed his hand on the crystals surface, just over the boy's chest. For a moment nothing happened, and then a bright light began to shine under Gildarts' palm. With a flash and a crack, the crystal broke into millions of perfectly shaped cubes; luckily, the boy was still intact. Gildarts caught his limp body before it could fall and carefully laid him on the scaffolding. Makarov sucked in a breath as he got a clear view of the boy's body. The wings on his back were tattered and torn, the thin membrane handing like rags from its bony frame. One of his horns were cracked and another cut in half. His tail had chunks of flesh taken out and the tip had been severed off. A fresh looking cut declared its presence from his neck and what skin that could be seen sported bruises. Mud and dust tangled his spikey pink hair.

Makarov couldn't help but feel sick. Even if this boy's appearance was not human, he did not deserve to suffer from whatever had given him such horrible wounds. Gildarts checked his pulse and confirmed that he was alive. Makarov looked at the pile of crystals that Gildarts had destroyed. There were too many variables and not enough information for him to know what happened here. The only one who could tell them was the boy... and perhaps one other.

"How do you think he got here," Gildarts asked. Makarov just shook his head. "We'll take him to Fairy Tail for now and ask Porlyuscia what she can do about these wings and tail." Makarov turned away and began to descend the scaffolding. Gildarts quickly followed after, carrying the boy with him.

**Notes: Sorry this took so long! My inspiration flew out the window and only came back to me in small bursts. I had to practically force myself to get the last bit out, so I'm sorry if the chapter sucks. Please leave some stones or hugs in the reviews, won't hurt my feelings either way!**


	3. Chapter 3: Healing and Worry

**I'm back! Here's the new chapter. I'm sorry it took so long *bows* but I figured I should get one out before finals hit me full force.**

**_****_Chapter 3: And they flew across the lands…_**

Porlyuscia frowned deeply as she took in the sight of the boy in Gildarts arms. She didn't even ask for an explanation as to why he was there, and simply gestured for him to place the child on the bed. She scurried about her small home, gathering supplies as quickly as she could as he laid the boy down gently on the soft bed. Porlyuscia set water on the stove to boil and placed washcloths on a small crate next to the bed. Gildarts sat down in a corner of the room, well out of Porlyuscia's way as she gathered all of her supplies. He watched as she immediately set to work, not even questioning the child's extra appendages. She flitted her hands over the boy's body, her hands lingering on the more severe wounds. She shook her head when she discovered the chunk taken out of his tail. The room was silent, save for the sound of boiling water and the rustle of Porlyuscia's clothing and the pad of her feet on the stone floor. She silently wetted a cloth and gently wiped away the dried blood from the boy's body. When she finished cleaning the wounds, she began to inspect the wings. She attempted to pull them away from his body but they held fast, as if they were tied firmly to his back. She huffed in annoyance and deftly shoved her hand in between the folds of the wing's membrane. She stroked the soft muscle in between the pinions on the boy's back and the wing suddenly shot up, fully extended. Now with the wing fully in view, it was clear just how much damage had truly been done to the youth's body.

Huge gashes had been cut into the thin membrane, rendering them useless. Several of the fragile joints in the thin bones that served as the wings framework had been broken. They didn't look like they could ever be used again. Porlyuscia began to move around to retrieve something when suddenly she stopped, her gaze falling on Gildarts as if just now realizing that he was still in the room. He could see barley contained fury reflecting in her eyes as she held up her broom, which had materialized out of nowhere. She took up a threatening stance and her eyes flashed evilly. Gildarts realized he had exactly zero seconds before he was pummeled to death by a crazy old woman who lived in the woods. He didn't want to imagine how big of a crater that could leave in his reputation. He bolted out the door, slamming it closed as he escaped the angry old woman.

He sighed dejectedly as he realized that Porlyuscia was going to make him wait outside for however long it took to bandage up the kid. He sat down on the steps leading into her tree house and folded his arms. He was alone outside, as the master had returned to the guild to inform Macao and Wakaba of what was going on so that they could keep an eye on the youngsters. Macao and Wakaba wouldn't have been Gildarts first choice of qualified individuals to watch after the infestation of children living within the guild, but there was no one else available at such short notice. He sighed again and leaned his head back against the natural wood that served as the stairs railing. He thought about the boy, and wondered if he would soon have to join the small family of orphans now living in the guild. The thought made his heart ache in sympathy for all the kids that had dragged themselves to the doors of the guild, looking for a place to work, eat, and find acceptance in a world that had swept them under the rug and stepped on them.

He vaguely remembered the day the Strauss kids had come to the guild. The two younger kids were committed to learning takeover magic in order to convince their older sister that she wasn't a monster. Their dedication to their troubled sister eventually led up to them joining the guild and being absorbed into the family. Even though, at the time, it was thought that Mira was a true demon, she was never a full out monster. That boy though, he was not using magic to maintain that appearance. His wings and tail were the real deal. He was even extremely light, as Gildarts had noticed when he carried the boy all the way here. His bones were hollow, like a bird.

Gildarts scratched his head distractedly. All these deep thoughts were making his head hurt, better to not worry and simply see how it all turned out.

"You can come in now."

Porlyuscia's sharp and commanding voice cut through the silence of the forest. The sun had gone down hours ago and both the woods and the city in the distance were silent. Makarov had arrived several hours ago, but had not dared to enter Porlyuscia's home while she was working. Gildarts and Makarov rose and followed the elderly woman into the treehouse. The medical supplies had all been stored away, and the house was clean, save for the sink full of bloody rags, which were soaking in sterilized water. The boy was sleeping soundly on the bed. He had been flipped over on his stomach so that his wings could be spared from the weight of his body. The wings had been stitched and the knobby joints had been mended. The bruises that had covered the boy's body were gone, replaced by pale skin that had not yet seen the sun. The boy's tail was curled up behind him, the missing flesh filled in and the tip now capped by a blunt metal piece.

Gildarts realized that she had even bathed the boy and even attempted to tame his crazy hair, but had given up. He was wearing fresh clothing and stew was brewing on the stove for him to eat when he woke.

Makarov bowed to her respectfully. "Thank you for doing this Porlyuscia."

The old woman made a "tsk" sound and turned away. "Don't thank me, you idiot, he's not out of the woods yet." Makarov nodded and looked at the boy for a moment.

"We'll get him out of here as soon as he wakes up."

Porlyuscia said nothing and simply nodded. Makarov tensed, as if he silence was some kind of signal that meant that something bad was about to happen.

"Is there something wrong with him other than what I can see with my own eyes," he asked, his tone suddenly becoming stern.

Porlyuscia nodded and seated herself on a crate of apples. "Before I tell you anything," she began, "you need to tell me where the hell you found this kid."

Makarov complied, and told her about the laboratory, the tools, the strange disks, the underground cavern, the crystals, and their discovery of the boy. She listened to it all in tense silence, her expression remaining stoic and impassive. When Makarov finished his story, he allowed Porlyuscia a moment to take it all in. she asked to see the stone and the disk and he handed them to her. She studied them both carefully before gently setting them down. Her movements seemed resigned, as if these two objects had just confirmed her worst fears.

"Well, I can tell you one thing is one hundred percent certain, those disks aren't made of some rare stone, their dragon scales." Gildarts scoffed, and was about to retort when Makarov held up his hand for silence. He nodded for Porlyuscia to continue.

"These stones are unlike anything I have ever seen before in my life, but I can say that it is not a natural stone. It has magical properties like that of a Lachrima, or even solid eitherion, but ten times more powerful. It was created by magic, most likely feeding from a rich natural source in order to grow. If the crystals are as big as you say they are, the supply must be vast, but I can't imagine a source of magic that huge being condensed in one spot."

Makarov nodded in agreement, but a questioning look remained in his eyes. Porlyuscia picked up the stone and pointed to the scratch mark on its shiny surface. "I can see you noticed that the scales can scratch the stone. Normally it would be impossible for something to scratch a gem of condensed magic, but that's practically what dragon scales are, which is why dragons are so hard to kill."

Porlyuscia got up and rummaged through her cabinets until she revealed a mortar and pestle. "Do you have any more of those scales, Makarov?" She asked. Makarov dug into his pocket and pulled out a small bag filled with scales. Porlyuscia snatched them away and returned to her mortar and pestle. She used magic to cause the scales to adhere to the pestles end and then set it aside. Suddenly a hammer appeared from her cabinet and Makarov began to get nervous as she adhered more scales to the hammers business end. Suddenly, before Makarov or Gildarts could do anything, she slammed the hammer down on the gem. It shattered, and the soft light that had been flowing from it glittered in a blinding flash as the magic within the stone was forced to separate into smaller groups.

Unfazed by the flash of light, Porlyuscia quickly dumped the smaller fragments into the mortar and began grinding away with the pestle, turning the stone into a fine glittery powder.

"What the hell old woman!" Gildarts yelled. "That's the only stone we brought back and I'm not going all the way back to Crocus to get more."

Porlyuscia whipped around, her face a pure mask of anger as she rounded on Gildarts. "Stop your babbling!" she yelled, "It's to help the boy." Gildarts hesitated as Porlyuscia pushed past him. She poured the powder into a beaker and set it on a burner, quickly mixing powdered herbs and strange glowing liquids in with it. The mixture quickly began to boil and she pulled the beaker off with a pair of tongs. She poured the hot liquid into a bowl and silently made her way over to the sleeping child. Using a spoon, she dribbled the crystalizing liquid into the boy's mouth. She did it slowly, and when she was finished she poured the rest of the liquid into a small vial and gave it to Makarov.

"When he wakes, he will need to take ten millimeters of this with every meal. He absolutely cannot miss a dose; this could mean life or death for him at this point." Makarov nodded and slipped the vial into his coat pocket. He didn't attempt to express interest in everything he had just seen. Porlyuscia would never give him a straight answer anyhow.

Porlyuscia sat down tiredly on the crate of apples. The toll that healing the boy had taken on her was obvious as she slumped slightly against the wall.

"Now look what you've gone and done," she said angrily, "how am I supposed to care for an unconscious brat in this state?" Makarov smiled and bowed once again.

"Thank you, Porlyuscia." Gildarts bowed with him.

"Che! "Just get out already, filthy humans."

Makarov nodded and headed for the door, Gildarts trailing behind him. He took one last look at the odd pair that remained inside before silently closing the door. Porlyuscia was already asleep.

Makarov and Gildarts followed the path leading away from the forest. The woods surrounding them were dark and everything was silent as they made their way back to Magnlia. Gildarts said nothing for a time before finally asking, "What are you going to do now?"

"Nothing, for now. We must simply wait until the boy decides to wake up. It's out of our hands."

"That's not what I meant," Gildarts responded, trying to get Makarov to stop dodging the question.

Makarov sighed. "If he chooses, he can join the guild, no doubt he'd fit in well with the others considering his *cough* special qualities."

Gildarts nodded in agreement, and then smirked as he remembered that he'd said the same thing when Erza had joined. There was no doubt that she fit in well with the others, but her constant brawls with Mira and Grey didn't exactly keep things as peaceful as they had been once upon a time.

"Yea," Gildarts said finally, gazing up at the stars through a gap in the trees. "He'll get along just fine."

**So, there's the new chappy. please leave a review if you like or no like!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Intruder

**_Konichiwa ya'll! Here's the new chapter!_**

**_Disclaimer: Tis not mine, but perhaps, someday..._**

**_Chapter 4: The intruder _**

_-Three weeks later-_

Erza frowned suspiciously as Gildarts hastily exited the guild for the second time that day. The orange haired mage had been acing strange ever since he had returned from the mission with Makarov. She had been watching his movements for the past few weeks, and only became more and more suspicious every day. He would have been long gone by now if there wasn't anything tying him down. She finally confronted Makarov about Gildarts's strange behavior, but her efforts were met with solid authority and a simple _"It's not your business, yet."_ Makarov's stern answer did nothing to placate her suspicions, and only succeeded in making her uneasy. She had a feeling that what Makarov was hiding, whatever it was, would soon involve the entire guild, and she honestly didn't know whether to feel excited, afraid or something else entirely.

She remained where she was, sitting on a stool in a corner of the room where she could see people come and go. She silently debated whether she should follow Gildarts, or just try to forget the whole situation entirely. Just as she was about to opt to go on a mission to distract herself, she noticed Gray slipping out the guild doors.

Erza squinted in suspicion and quickly got up, intent on following the raven-haired ice mage. She stepped out into the cool afternoon, and noted the sun making a lazy descent in the horizon. Gray was already disappearing down the street, sprinting out of her sight. Erza gritted her teeth and quickly ran after him. _Don't tell me he's going after Gildarts,_ she thought to herself. She was annoyed that Gray would allow himself to fall so low, but also excited to find out the same secret that Gray was after.

She finally stopped running when she noticed Gray was ducked behind a tree, and not too far in front of him, Gildarts was ascending a small hill, following the dirt road into the forest. She moved up behind Gray as Gildarts disappeared over the crest of the hill. Gray was about to move away, but not before Erza clamped a hand around his mouth and slammed him to the ground.

Gray grunted in surprise and glared up at his captor before quickly realizing exactly _who _his captor was. He paled and sweat beaded on his forehead as he saw her, and she could just see the little hamster in his head getting its foot caught on its running wheel and being spun around with the momentum of the wheel. Erza held a finger to her lips in a shushing motion before releasing Gray's mouth. He huffed and raised his eyebrow in a questioning manor. Erza hesitated a moment, weighing her options for a moment before pointing to the direction that Gildarts had gone. Gray grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

Erza nodded and swiftly moved on head, Gray hot on her heels. They didn't say a word to each other, but the few missions they had done together allowed them to easily understand hand signals and subtle facial expressions. They only kept close enough to keep Gildarts at the edge of their vision. If they got to close, the older mage would sense their magical energy and their cover would be blown.

After several minutes of ducking around and crawling through the bushes and weeds, Erza finally realized where Gildarts was going.

Porlyuscia's tree house. She had only been to the cranky old woman's house once, but the experience was so unique that you couldn't exactly forget every detail of your first meeting with the skilled apothecary. She brushed her hand over her eye, the artificial eye made with Porlyuscia's magic and skill. She was truly thankful to the old woman for giving her something back that she thought she had lost forever.

Erza and Gray continued to follow Gildarts until they finally came up to the huge tree that was Porlyuscia's home. Erza and Gray waited until Gildarts disappeared into the trees interior and went around back. The house's only window was high off the ground, and neither Erza nor Gray could reach it.

Acting quickly, Erza pulled on Gray's arm until he was directly under the window and, without warning, jumped up onto his shoulders. Gray made a strange chocking sound and nearly collapsed under her weight, but somehow managed to balance himself and dig his heels into the dirt. He whipped his head up to look at Erza, but instead got a full view of the older girl's underwear.

Gray's cheeks flamed bright red and he quickly looked down, hoping Erza hadn't noticed him peeping, even if it was totally an accident. Thankfully she hadn't noticed and he sighed in relief. He would just keep this experience to himself. If Erza ever found out, there would be nothing left of his body when she was done with him.

He shifted slightly as he tried to get comfortable with Erza sitting on his shoulders.

"Stop moving," she whispered, whacking him on the head for good measure. Gray shifted a few more times before finally stilling, and Erza redirected her attention to the window.

_-Inside the house-_

Gildarts closed the door silently and made his way over to the bed. The boy was still sleeping soundly. Porlyuscia was over by the stove, stirring an orange mixture in a small pot. She dipped a small spoon in the liquid and tasted it. She seemed satisfied that the liquid was done cooking and then poured it into a bowl. She shoved the bowl in Gildart's hands along with a clean spoon and pointed to the boy.

"Drip small spoon-fulls of that down into the boy's mouth until there is none left." The elderly woman walked away from him, not giving him time to refuse as she busied herself with another task. He sighed and sat down on a crate of apples. He shot an annoyed look at the boy as he hovered the spoon over his lips, the orange liquid dribbling into his mouth. He continued to feed the boy for several minutes until there was none of the liquid left.

Porlyuscia watched silently from the sink. She couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of her. Gildarts almost looked like the boy's father like this. She knew the strong headed man would never admit it, but he had grown fond of the sleeping boy over the past three weeks. He visited the boy twice every day, much to Porlyuscia's annoyance, and had even changed his bandages a few times while she was out. She hoped that the boy would wake soon so that Gildarts would leave her alone.

Porlyuscia shook herself and quickly strode across the room, snatching the bowl and spoon from Gildarts and retreating back to the sink. There was silence for several moments as Porlyuscia scrubbed angrily at the dishes in the sink, and Gildarts stared off into space, thinking,

"When will he wake up?"

Porlyuscia's death grip on the dish in her hands weakened and she rinsed it quickly before setting it out to dry. She took a moment to steel herself before she turned to face Gildarts. He wasn't looking at her; his gaze was locked on the face of the pink haired boy on the bed. Porlyuscia could see a dementia in the young man's eyes, a question that she had no way of answering.

"I don't know."

Gildarts hand clenched from where it rested on his thigh. He was frustrated, and she couldn't blame him. The boy had done nothing but sleep since they discovered him three weeks ago, and even Makarov's patience was beginning to wear thin. Porlyuscia had tried multiple tactics to wake the boy, but none had worked, and she was at her wits end trying to find what was wrong with him. Physically, the boy was absolutely fine. His wounds, even the more serious ones, had healed over easily with no scars, and the vitamins and special medicines she put in his food kept him healthy. Yet the boy slept on.

Gildarts stood abruptly and turned on Porlyuscia. "Don't say that. I need answers. I don't want to build up hope for this boy and then have him-"

He took a shuddering breath and gritted his teeth. He couldn't say it; but he didn't need to. Porlyuscia huffed in annoyance before stepping forward and placing a firm grip on Gildarts shoulder. She knew how hard this was for him. It was hard for her too.

This boy reminded them too much of the brats sitting around at the guild. Erza, Gray, the Strauss kids, Kana… they were all orphans, and not just orphans. Those kids had seen things, they knew how cruel the world is, they had seen blood, death, and sacrifice. They had seen madness and had experienced it; they knew true terror and the feeling of utter helplessness. They all stumbled into Magnolia; many half dead and some seemed dead the way their eyes floated over the world. Seeing, yet unseeing.

If this boy died, he wouldn't be the first. Many had come before him, some seeking shelter, others hopelessly lost in a world without mercy. And some had been dying. The kids at the guild were the survivors; they were the ones strong enough to power through the darkness. Porlyuscia knew nothing about this boy, but his sleep may be a sign of a mental trauma that he may never heal from. If the boy did finally wake up, would he be the same person he was when he fell asleep?

She knew Gildarts history and just how much he cared for the guild brats. If any of them died, Gildarts would probably go on a rampage. She remembered a situation similar to this one. A child, a hopeless disease, and her own inability to stop a child's physical downward spiral until he hit rock bottom. She remembered Gildarts grief. She remembered her own helplessness. She wanted to help, but she could do nothing for the sleeping child.

"He'll make it, Gildarts," she said. She spoke firmly, sure that the child would power through. The ginger just stared at her, his eyes looking past her, into his own memories.

His eyes cleared and he seemed to come back to himself. He gritted his teeth and scowled, dark likes creasing his forehead.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," he muttered, striding past her to the door. He had just placed his hand on the handle when the sound of shattering glass assaulted his ears. He whipped his head up, eyes wide as something crashed to the floor of Porlyuscia's tree house. Or rather, someone.

Confusion and then anger went through him as the figure on the floor groaned, having landed on its head. The scarlet hair, armor, and dominant air of the person in front of him only belonged to one possible person.

Erza Scarlet.

**Hello! I think this chapter is shorter compared to the others but, eh, why not? Cliffs bro! I hope you like it. This story will actually more or less follow the main storyline of fairy Tail up to a certain point. I thought I'd go ahead and tell you now, this is just setup for the main story, this is like prologe (... did I spell that right? English is weird sometimes) basically. The actual story will take place sometime after the magic games, and before the Demon ark. Don't totally disregard there chapters though, they are definitely still important. Think of it as extensive character building that is also entertaining. Or something...**

**Please Review**

**Flamers will be ignored**


	5. Chapter 5:New One

**Edited 6/23/15**

**Here it is FINALLY! You will never know how much of a relief it is to finish a chapter. You worry about it all the time, even while you're procrastinating! Well. At least it's out…**

**Disclaimer: Hiro's safe is being guarded by E.N.D**

Chapter 5: New One

Erza's eyes widened as she felt her body tipping forward, too fast to stop. Even as her head busted through the window and her body fell into the room, the only thing she could think of was the punishments that she would lay out for Gray when this was all over.

Gray had sneezed, hard, and it had startled Erza so much that she lost her balance. In her attempt to regain stability, Gray had panicked and the frenzied movement sent Erza crashing through the window.

Before she could flip her body and get her feet under her, she was on the floor, all the air from her lungs wheezing past her lips in one loud huff. Her head throbbed and she stumbled as she attempted to rise. Porlyuscia and Gildarts were probably not happy right now. It was one thing to spy on close friends, and only playfully at that, but one must always proceed with caution when meddling in the secret lives of adults. One misstep could send you down the steep end of the nearest mountainside.

Erza barely managed to get to her feet before she was yanked up harshly by the front strap of her armor. Gildarts was holding her up in the air, staring her down, as if demanding to know why she of all people would pry into something that was absolutely none of her business.

She was about to say something to defend herself when Gray stormed through the door. He was shirtless and his left side was covered in mud. His eyes were wide, and he seemed to shrink in on himself as he took in the scene before him. Porlyuscia grabbed him and pulled him inside, closing the door to her house before either of the kids could even consider escape.

"You two have a lot of explaining to do," Gildarts hissed, his grip on Erza's armor tightening.

"Us," Gray scoffed. "How about you two? You've been sneaking around for weeks. What the hell have you been up to?"

Porlyuscia slapped the shirtless boy upside the head. "Watch your mouth. It's no concern of yours about what we've been doing. Neither of you will say anything about what you've seen here." The old woman gave Erza a pointed stare before releasing her hold on Gray's arm.

Erza glared at Gildarts as he set her down. He returned the glare with equal intensity. "Stupid kids," he growled. "Getting all up in our business. I would expect this kind of behavior from Gray, but never from you, Erza. You've disappointed me." Erza clenched her fists and scowled up at the man. "We deserve to know what's going on around the guild. We may be kids, but we can handle whatever this is."

Gildarts stiffened, his face becoming devoid of all emotion as he stared Erza down. "You have no idea what the hell this is."

Erza shook her head. "No, I don't, and that's because you won't tell me. You won't tell us." She gestured to Gray, who nodded grimly.

"If this is a matter concerning the guild, then we all deserve to know," Erza finished."

Gray nodded his head. "Whatever this is, it has something to do with the kid right?" Gray pointed to the pink haired boy who had slept on through the chaos that had just ensued.

Porlyuscia sighed in annoyance and Gildarts rubbed a hand over his tired face.

"It has everything to do with the boy, and nothing to do with you," Gildarts ground out, clearly unwilling to get into it with Erza.

"It'll be best if the two of you just forget this and don't let it worry you. We kept this a secret for a reason."

Erza caught a flash of something in the Mage's eyes, and suddenly the reason for their secretes came to mind.

"Your not thinking that this is going to turn out the same way as it did with Kairi are you?"

Gildarts stiffened, and his face changed from anger to sorrow. Porlyuscia's face turned stern, and she moved away from Gray to stand in front of the boy.

Erza hated to bring up the deceased girls name, but she needed answers for Gildarts' odd behavior. The man's response only confirmed her suspicions. She moved forward and took Gildarts hand in hers. This had everything to do with the young girl that Gildarts had taken in years ago, and maybe had something to do with another problem, but it was clear that there was only one reason on the forefront of Gildarts' mind.

"I know you blame yourself for her death,"Erza said, moving forward to take his hand in hers. "And know you don't want all of us to be hurt again, but you can't keep this a secret. We can tell what's going on, and we're prepared to face the pain if it doesn't work out. You have to tell everyone." Erza squeezed Gildarts hand gently, and slowly, he strengthened his grip on her hand.

Kairi was a sore subject for everyone in the guild, but more so for Gildarts than anyone else. Kairi had seemed perfectly fine when Gildarts first brought her in, and everyone else had failed to notice that there was something wrong until it was too late.

"Makarov and I found the kid three weeks ago," Gildarts sqid, his eyes falling onto the prone figure on the bed. "He was unconscious, and covered in horrible wounds. We brought him here to have him treated, but he's been unconscious for weeks. We were going to bring him to the guild after a few days, but now Makarov and I aren't so sure. We didn't want anyone to get attached just for him to not make it."

ERza nodded in understanding. Gildarts was trying to protect everyone else at the guild from heartache, just in case the boy didn't pull through in the end. It was an understandable reason to keep the boy's presence a secret, but in the end, the secret was probably always meant to be broken. Fairy Tail mages were too nosy for their own good, as Erza and Gray had managed to prove.

Erza was not blind to the irony, however, as she could clearly see that protecting everyone else from attachment had gotten Porlyuscia and Gildarts attached themselves, and this scene was probably all too familiar to the two. Porlyuscia and Gildarts had been almost presences when Kairi had become suddenly fatally ill. Porlyuscia, because it was her job, and Gildarts, because he had become a sort of father to the now deceased young girl. Looking at the boy on the bed, it almost seemed to mirror her own memories of Kairi as she lay in the exact same spot, plagued by restless sleep and fever. Porlyuscia had been helpless, and was only able to comfort the girl with words that she was sure had never reached her as Kairi slowly slipped away.

Erza thought she had wiped out all memories of the purple haired girl, but being in this situation once again proved otherwise. A quick glance at Gray also confirmed his own feelings for the late girl. They missed Kairi just as much as Gildarts, even though they had only known her for a short amount of time.

She looked back at Gildarts and squeezed his hand again. "He'll be fine Gildarts, you'll see."

Gildarts smiled at her and they all sat in silence as the clock struck the hour.

FT

Erza was used to the constant noise that plagued the Fairy Tail guildhall, and had had her ears assaulted by the most horrifying sounds known to man. She was impervious to the constant clamor of sound that contained itself within the Magnolia Market Square, and the hustle and bustle of the Magnolia train station.

Nothing she had experienced in the past would prepare her for the sound that left that child's mouth.

Deafening was the best way to describe it. A high pitched scream that rattled the windows and set her teeth on edge. It was a desperate cry for help, spewing from a writhing receptacle of skin and flesh. It was a cry of pure, unfiltered terror, and it came from the winged boy currently being held down to Porlyuscia's bed.

Gildarts winced in pain as the sound assaulted his ears at point blank range, and the boy dug his claws deep into Gildarts arm, drawing blood. Gray jumped up and pulled the boy's head back just before he attempted to take a bite out of Gildarts' shoulder, his fangs flashing. The boy growled and shrieked as his head was puled back violently. Erza could only watch in stunned silence from her position on the floor as the boy, who had been completely docile up until now, began to overpower the two. He was far to stron and fast to someone who had woken from a coma only moments ago.

It took her only a second to regain her composure before jumping into the struggle as well. She grabbed the boy's shoulders and pulled him down, pinning him to the bed as Gray attempted to keep both of his hands on the boy's head. Mirajane grabbed the boy's other shoulder and held him down by leaning down on his chest. If it weren't for Gray, Mira would have lost an ear. Elfman held down the boy's wings, which were flapping everywhere as the boy tried to throw them off. Gildarts was straddling the boys hips, planting the boys legs firmly against the table with his body weight as he grappled with the boy's clawed hands.

The boy's tail snaked out from under him and managed to bash Gildarts upside the head with the heavily muscled appendage. Gildarts cursed, ducking to avoid the flailing appendage.

"Levy!" He yelled, hoping the solid script mage was close by. "Bind him!"

"Y-yes," The blue haired mage cried. She raised her pin in the air and stated shakily: "Solid Script; Bind!" The word bind appeared in the air, made of loops of rope. The ropes descended on the group of struggling mages, and within moments the boy was tied to the table.

He continued to struggle, his fangs flashing as he screamed something intelligible at them.

Lissana and Porlyscia looked on, wide eyed as the boy continued to writhe. Already red marks were appearing on his skin where the ropes rubbed. If he didn't stop struggling he would rub his skin raw.

Everyone seemed at a loss as to what they should do. The boy was saying something, but it was obvious he was speaking an entirely different language. Gildarts was trying to calm him, unconcerned with the blood running down his face and back. Gildart's couldn't get a single word in however, as the boy drowned out every other sound with his sceaming. The master might have known what to do, but he was currently absent from Magnolia on business. He had wanted to stay in case the boy woke while he was gone, but had been persuaded otherwise by Porlyuscia's lack of progress. They were on their own in this one.

Erza scowled as Gildarts gave up trying to calm the boy down. He would tire himself out eventually, but Erza didn't think it would be a good idea to leave him. They had no idea what the boy could do, and she didn't like the idea of the boy rubbing his skin raw on the ropes and ruining his throat from his screaming.

Quickly making up her mind, Erza stepped towards the boy, reaching a hand towards him. His eyes widened, and the screaming stopped, replaced instead with a low growl. The boy shied away as she moved forward, wriggling himself more towards the wall. He couldn't get very far due to the ropes, but he tried his hardest. Erza hesitated before slowly raising her hand up, fingers relaxed and no tension in her palm, trying to appear as none threatening as possible.

The growling increased, and Erza could hear the others becoming restless behind her. Everyone was on edge now, and if anything happened they would be ready to help.

She moved forwards a little more, and the growling became a low rumble of warning that only sounded more and more violent as she reached out her hand. Erza looked the boy in the eye, trying to convey feelings of good will towards the frightened boy. She was upset to find, not assurance in the boy's eyes, but pure terror. He was terrified, and was probably unsure that he could carry out the threats that his growling promised. Erza faltered for a moment.

She knew that look. She had seen it multiple times throughout her childhood. She had once had those eyes. Looking into the boy's coal black orbs, she could see only fear and confusion meeting her steely resolve. It made her heart ach in sympathy and remembrance. Steeling herself, she pushed her memories aside and reached out, her hand relaxed, yet ready to pull away at a moments notice as she reached for his head. He didn't try to bite her like she thought he would, but instead shrunk in on himself as she placed her hand on his head. They remained that way for a moment, the growling suddenly silenced, and the room still as the tension began to fade. Erza ruffled his wild pink hair, and he stared at her in confusion, and a slowly fading fear became less and prominent. She smiled, glad to see the boys terror fading so quickly.

There were silent murmurs behind Erza, and felt a swell of accomplishment and pride from calming the boy.

The boy slowly settled, the tension leaving his body yet he remained on guard. Erza retained her eye contact with him, and she felt something warm inside as she gazed into his coal black eyes, and couldn't help but feel that everything would turn out alright.

Someone came behind Erza and patted her on the shoulder, and the boy's eyes shot up to inspect the person, no doubt Gildarts.

She went to pull her hand away, and was startled as the boy's expression changed once again from a growing calm to determined as his eyes came down from Gildarts and focused forwards as his head shot out, his fangs sinking deep into her hand.

Everything after that was pure instinct. Before she herself was aware of what she was doing, Erza's fist was descending towards his head. The boy didn't even cry out as her fist impacted on his skull, his jaw going slack and as collapsed back onto the bed. Erza hardly registered the sensation of blood dripping down her hand as she turned away from the boy.

Everyone was staring at her, wide eyed as her face remained blank. Gildarts' eyes were wide, and his jaw slack as he stared the previously comatose boy who she may very well have just sent back into such a state.

Porlyuscia hurried forwards to inspect her hand, and the silence was broken as everyone began to murmur about the events that had just transpired. Some were quick to begin cleaning the mess that had resulted from the struggle, while others needed a moment to process everything. Erza allowed Porlyuscia to bandage her wound, and then watched as she also worked on Gildarts.

Just before the boy had woken, and after confronting Gildarts about the boy, they had all decided to introduce anyone in the guild who was interested to the boy. Elfman, Gray, Lissana, Cana, Levy, and Mirajane had all decided to come. Erza had been helping Porlyuscia feed him when he had awoken and she was flung to the ground by a quickly intervening Gildarts. If Gildarts hadn't pulled her away, the boy might have torn out her throat. What happened after that had only just transpired.

She stared at the unconscious boy as the others unbound him. She didn't think that was very wise, as he might react the same way the next time he awoke, but she didn't care at his point. The boy was extremely interesting, and no doubt Porlyuscia would demand he be moved out of her house after the made sure Erza didn't permanently damage him. If that happened, he would be moved into the infirmary and would need constant surveillance to make sure he didn't go on a rampage.

She was sure she could help with that.

**Yaaaaay! I literally wrote this entire chapter today! (Thank you procrastination). Luckily inspiration struck and now I'm back in action! To the Reviews!**

**treeofsakuras: Sadly he did not, but in the original version of the chapter he did, but I figured it didn't match up the character that Hiro had created.**

**Scld0702: Thanks' so much! It gives me a fuzzy warm feeling when someone says they love what I write. Or is that a spider… Shit.**

**Guest: Well, I don't care what you have to say anyways, because I will continue to write for those who do enjoy my work**

**PitbullColin: Thankyou,IloveyousomuchyouhavenoideahowhappyIam!**

**Don't forget to review, and read on my Lovelies! **


	6. Chapter 6: Acceptance

**Heloooo! After a rather depressing review delivered from Jalis (thank you by the way), I was persuaded to bump Demons up on the schedule (sorry anyone waiting for 7D7M7Y), and now that brings us here. I suffered a few days of inactivity in my writing, due to the A, K, L, G, E, T, and M keys deciding to go on strike. I had to order a new keyboard and had to get my IT savvy dad to replace the old keyboard with the new. So for the past few days, I've been sporadically playing Assassins Creed Unity, Reading, Writing, and fending off the Russian invasion (we adopted two Russian Blue kittens a few weeks ago and they are hell-raisers).**

**Well enough about me, I'm happy to say that I'm getting chapters for two separate stories out this week! Please enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

**Disclaimer: Nay Nay.**

Chapter 6: Acceptance

First introductions to the pink haired boy could have gone better, but it wouldn't be Fairy Tail if the introductions went any other way. When she thought about it, if she had been in a coma for who knows how long, and then woke up to find herself covered in healing wounds, surrounded by a bunch of people she didn't know, she would have done anything to escape, including the boy's actions.

After the outburst, Porlyuscia made sure the boy wasn't damaged, and then kicked them all out, saying the boy was no longer her responsibility now that he was conscious. Gildarts thanked her for her help, and they all made the trip back to Fairy Tail together, everyone keeping one eye on the unconscious boy.

When they arrived back at the guild, everyone was staring at the boy's wings and tail, fascinated by the abnormal features. Erza and the other returning members were immediately bombarded with questions that were delivered with rapid fire concern from her fellow guild members. They wanted to know everything about the boy, and whether or not he would be joining the guild.

Most people were excited at the prospect of a new mage joining the guild's ranks, while others were indifferent. Many pestered Gildarts with questions about where the boy had been found or when they would be able to meet him properly, and Gildarts answered the questions the best he could. It occurred to Erza that despite what Gildarts had told her already, there were still a lot of details missing. Listening to him answer the other member's questions only confirmed her suspicions. There was a lot being left unsaid, but neither the other mages nor Erza herself pointed this out. If Gildarts wasn't telling them something, then it was probably for the better, or was highly classified at the moment.

After they moved the boy into the infirmary, he slept for much of the afternoon, only waking occasionally if fitful restlessness. It was only until it was late in the evening that the boy finally came fully awake. Only Lissana and Levy were in the room at the time, so he could have very easily overpowered the two and made an escape. Luckily, his immediate response was not to scream and fight, as he was still feeling the effects of his tussle with everyone earlier, but he was wary enough that if anyone got too close he would growl and snarl.

The boy was skittish, twitching nervously whenever someone spoke too loudly, his eyes flitting back and forth erratically. He kept mumbling things in his foreign language, seemingly trying to comfort himself with words that no one else could understand. Clearly the boy was not from this country, or perhaps had never learned the language if he did in fact come from Fiore. The boy was clearly confused, and for quite some time everyone was a loss as to what they should do.

Finally, sick of all the waiting about, Erza requested a bowl of soup and brought it up to the boy. He had to be starving and scared, and nothing comforted people better than a bowl of warm broth. Mirajane had been left up in the infirmary to watch the boy, and though Erza thought she wasn't necessarily the best choice to watch a frightened creature/boy thing with her temper, she was strong enough to hold him back for a moment and raise the alarm if he tried to make a break for it.

Erza knocked on the infirmary door softly before opening it. Mirajane was sitting quietly in a chair well away from the bed that the boy was occupying, but was close enough that she could tackle him if he tried anything. The boy himself was perched tensely on the edge of the bed, ready to leap at the slightest confrontation. His head whipped around at the sound of the door opening, and he shifted his position on the bead so that his back was against the wall, but he could still face either direction. His wings ruffled, ready to unfurl and take flight at a moment's notice.

Mirajane looked up as Erza entered the room, and for once didn't scowl. Now was not a time for petty arguments or rivalries. Mira rose from her chair and walked towards Erza, making a wide arc around the boy's bed. She said nothing as she passed Erza, only nodded, a gesture which the scarlet haired mage returned.

Mira closed the door quietly behind her, and Erza turned her attention to the boy sitting on the bed. He was watching her warily; still tense despite the time he had had to become acclimated to the room. His tail swished back and forth nervously, the metal tip flashing in the light.

Erza tried to appear relaxed. This boy wasn't entirely human, so no doubt any off-putting signals coming from a potential enemy flashed huge warning signs for him. The boy appeared mostly human, but Erza wouldn't put it past his potentially animalistic nature for him to attack. Erza had no doubt that he was still tense due to Mira's stiff and cold nature, which doesn't do much in the way of comfort when you're wrapped up in the kind of situation that the boy was currently in.

Erza smiled at him, and his only response was to stare, as if he were searching for something in her face. His tail flicked. Erza set the bowl and spoon down on the table next to the bed. No doubt she was slightly closer to the boy than he wanted her to be, but he did not growl or snarl, simply continued to stare.

Erza made a point of pushing the bowl close to the boy and turned away to retrieve the chair Mira had been previously occupying. Erza didn't know much about handling people in general, but she knew enough from experience that displaying a sign of trust was one of the most effective ways to make people relax and in turn trust you more. Turning her back on the boy was her sign of trust. If he took it for what it was and decided that it was safe enough to reach for the soup on his own, then that would already be a huge step in the right direction.

She took her time in retrieving the chair, gazing out the window for a few moments as she allowed the boy to make up his mind. After enough time passed, Erza grabbed the chair and lifted it only slightly above the floor so that it didn't screech from being dragged, but also so that she did not appear more threatening with the added size of the object in her hand.

Erza carried the chair to a position directly next to the bed. She positioned it slowly and carefully before sitting down in the most relaxed and natural way possible. To her disappointment, the boy had not gone for the soup like she had hoped he would, but she did not let the emotion show on her face. He stared at her, slightly anxious, but much more relaxed than when she had first entered the room. Erza reached her hand out to the table, pushing the bowl a little closer to the boy. He eyed it, and Erza gave him a look of expectation.

He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing the pros and cons of eating a bowl of soup, and then dropped his gaze from Erza long enough to carefully lift the bowl and spoon. He tried to appear reluctant as he began sipping the broth, but Erza could tell that he was eager to chug the whole bowl, and probably ask for more.

Sure enough, he started slowly, but was soon shoveling in sips of the warm liquid with his spoon before abandoning the utensil altogether and drinking the liquid straight from the bowl.

When he finished he wiped his mouth on his sleeve and set the bowl and spoon gently back on the table. He looked disappointed, but was trying to hide it. Erza smiled at that. He was probably ravenous, and wanted much more than a single bowl of plain broth, and Erza would have gladly given him more in sympathy of his malnourished frame alone. But Porlyuscia had made it quite clear that someone in his condition could not start eating normally right away. It would take time for him to graduate back up to fully solid foods, so for now they would stick with small servings of the broth.

They boy looked as if he would ask for more, but he didn't, probably too afraid to ask.

For Erza, this was a tipping point. What she did next would ultimately determine whether this boy came to trust any of them at all, or ever again, for that matter, as it seemed that he had already placed a certain level of trust in Erza.

The only thing she could think to do was a formal greeting.

She reached her hand towards the boy, palm loose and fingers relaxed but still moving with purpose.

"My name is Erza," she said, putting emphasis on her name. There was a language barrier that was going to make communicating hard, but Erza was confident that she could help overcome the obstacle.

The boy backed away a bit, his eyes flitting between focusing on her face and her still outstretched hand. Erza proffered her hand a little more, though not aggressively.

"Go on, take it, It's not going to hurt you."

He just stared at her and muttered something in his language. Erza could see that he recognized the gesture, but was still unsure. His tail thumped the side of the bed, the metal tip making a soft clang.

Erza lowered her hand and decided on a different tactic.

Erza pointed at herself, poking her own chest with purpose.

"I'm Erza. _Erza," _she said, once again stressing her name. She needed to break the ice a little bit, and the boy needed to get to know her anyways.

He nodded slowly, seeing to understand where she was going with the converstaion. He pointed at her and spoke nervously, quietly, "Er-za."

Erza nodded and repeated her name for confirmation. Then she raised both of her hands and gestured to the room around her. The boy's eyes widened for a moment, but he did not attempt to move away.

Erza tried to encompass the entire room in her gesture, emphasizing that she was about to speak of a place.

"Fairy Tail," she said, gesturing once more.

The boy seemed to get it.

"Fairy… Tail…," he said, testing the words on his tongue.

Erza nodded in approval, and smiled brightly. She was getting excited, and it was becoming impossible to contain the positive energy. She was making amazing progress already, and she was almost giddy on the weightlessness that came with the sense of accomplishment.

Erza reigned in the feeling and tried to project her happiness to the boy by simply smiling, a gesture which he returned nervously, though it looked more like a grimace. The gesture made Erza sober, and while her outside expression remained cheerful, she was getting back to business within her own mind.

She pointed at him and gave her expectant expression once again.

"What is your name?"

He seemed to understand, and nodded as he pointed to himself.

"Natsu."

"Natsu," Erza repeated, liking the way the name rolled off of her tongue.

She held out her hand once again for a handshake, being slightly more insistent this time.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Natsu."

He eyed her hand warily, and then reluctantly took it, his grip loose. Erza gave their hands a firm shake, and Natsu's grip tightened just a little bit.

FTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT

A week passed, and Natsu gradually worked up the courage and strength to explore the infirmary and the upper level where most of the guild members were not allowed to go, though he stayed close to the wall so that he wouldn't be seen through the banister. Guildarts was up there much of the time, and while Natsu didn't seem nervous in the man's presence, he did go out of his way to avoid the mage.

Natsu was eating well, able to stomach two meals of soup a day, and had even been able to keep down the small amounts of chicken and vegetables they put into the soup. It was a faster physical recovery than Erza had at first dared to wish for, and she was glad to see Natsu slowly begin to fill out.

He was still skittish around people, and spent most of his time in Erza's company, though he did seem to enjoy Elfman's and Lissana's presence as well. The two youngest Strauss siblings were gentle, quiet, and rather patient, so they made great companions for the nervous boy. Elfman had taken it upon himself to start teaching Natsu their language, so he started with some of the more basic words, pointing out objects within the guild that Natsu would hopefully already be familiar with.

He caught on quickly, and sometimes when Erza was busy she would see Elfman and Natsu leaning on a hidden corner of the railing from the second floor. Elfman would point at something down on the ground floor, and Natsu would answer eagerly. It always made Erza smile

Natsu took lots of naps throughout the day, as he was still quite weak, and the small amount of activity he did every few hours wore him out.

Natsu was still unwilling to meet the whole of the guild, much to their disappointment, but even Erza was reluctant to let him meet everyone quite just yet. She would much rather wait for him to become a little surer of himself and become physically stronger. Gildarts seemed to agree with her sentiments, although they both agreed that it would be Natsu's choice in the end.

Currently, Erza was heading up to the infirmary to wake Natsu from his nap so that he could eat lunch. Elfman or Lissana could have done it, but just as Elfman had made it his job to teach Natsu their language, Erza had made it her job to be a constant in Natsu's day to day life.

She wanted to be the one to wake Natsu up in the mornings, not just for him, but for herself as well. Natsu needed someone who he could trust completely, someone who understood and could be there for him when he needed anything. Erza had been the first to gain his trust, and was so far the only one that he trusted fully. He needed to know that that trust was well invested.

For Erza, her private interactions with Natsu within the infirmary had become the times where she dared to lower her guard and strip herself of her armor, hypothetically anyways. Erza could tell that Natsu had seen things that he would rather forget, but she still got a sense that there was an innocence in him that would never be broken. As someone who had lost her innocence long ago, as someone who had seen the cruelty of the world, Erza felt a responsibility to preserve Natsu's innocence for as long as possible.

He was a rarity among the younger members of the guild because of that one specific feature of his personality, and rarities were meant to be treasured. The last time she had seen anyone with as much innocence as Natsu, they ended up bedridden for three months before they finally died in the night.

Erza wouldn't see such a thing happen ever again. She was always the one to wake him up because that's when he was truly the most vulnerable, and he deserved to have someone he trusted completely greet him at the end of his waking dreams.

Erza stepped into the infirmary quietly and padded silently across the wooden floor, bowl of soup in hand.

She set the bowl down on the table and then shook Natsu gently to wake him. He squinted at her, bleary eyed as he slowly woke. Erza smiled at him, and he yawned in response.

"It's lunchtime sleepy head," Erza said, sitting down on the edge of the bed as Natsu sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

He yawned again, his fangs flashing and his wings stretching way out as he stretched his arms. His tail flicked lazily behind him, making small thumping sounds on the pillow. Erza handed him the bowl of soup, and he took it eagerly. The soup was hoy, but Erza wasn't worried that he would burn his mouth or anything. Natsu had proved just days earlier that hot things didn't bother him.

After the guild had cleared out, Erza had taken him on a tour of the guild. They had gone into the kitchen behind the bar, and Natsu had accidentally stuck his tail in the fireplace. He hadn't even noticed, and Erza had been surprised to find not a single burn on the scaly appendage.

Natsu's more none-human appendages had become a popular subject within the guild, for all of the obvious reasons. Elfman had even asked him if he wanted to try and fly. Natsu had shaken his head no, and no one brought up the subject again. Erza figured that he would fly when he felt he was ready, and it frankly wasn't any of her business otherwise.

Erza watched him scarf down the soup, hardly chewing the chunks of chicken as he practically chugged the broth. Erza was glad to see his appetite growing, though she wasn't so enthused by his table manners, or lack thereof.

Natsu finished the soup and placed the bowl on the table. He knew not to ask for more, as Erza had already explained as best she could that he had to work his way up to larger portions per Porlyuscia's orders. They had already given him larger portion sizes, and Erza didn't want word getting back to the grumpy herbalist that they had deviated from her instructions.

Natsu stretched again, and his face warped from an expression of tiredness, to thoughtfulness. He suddenly seemed nervous, and he twiddled his fingers distractedly. He glanced up at her, seemingly having some internal struggle about something. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathed out a heavy sigh, and turned to face Erza more.

Erza paid him her full attention, telling him that she was ready for whatever he had to say.

Natsu hesitated for a moment, and then placed a hand over his heart, his expression questioning. Erza didn't understand what he was asking and only responded by looking confused.

Natsu's brow creased and he patted his palm on his chest more aggressively. He muttered a word in his language, trying to portray his meaning, but it was lost on Erza.

Natsu seemed to give up for a moment before tentatively reaching out to place his hand on her heart. Erza gazed down at his hand, still unsure.

"Heart… do you mean heart," she questioned, trying to translate Natsu's meaning.

"Heart," Natsu stated firmly, storing the word away for future use. Natsu thought for a moment and then raised his hands in an all-around gesture.

"Fairy Tail," he said, moving one hand to rest back on her heart.

"Heart."

He gazed at her, his expression questioning yet firm.

_Heart… _

_Fairy Tail…_

_Home._

Erza's eyes widened in realization, and she nodded her head that she understood.

She mimicked Natsu's gestures, nodding her head all the while.

"Home," she said, a smile gracing her lips. Fairy Tail was her home, there was no doubt about that, and Erza wouldn't rather be anywhere else.

Natsu tested the word out, and Erza nodded in approval. He learned quickly, and Erza was glad. They were slowly rising from a crawl to a walk in their progress speed, and it would only get faster and faster.

Natsu placed his hand on his chest again, and the questioning look returned.

"Home," he questioned. He sounded reluctant, as if asking for what he wanted was well beyond his permission, yet he was daring to anyways.

Erza shook her head to indicate that she didn't follow and Natsu sighed in exasperation.

He gestured to the room once again.

"Fairy Tail," she said, trying to keep track of his thought process.

Natsu nodded and once again placed a hand on his chest.

"Home?"

Then the realization hit.

_Can this be my home too?_

Erza was speechless. This whole time, she had imagined that they would end up asking him to stay, not the other way around. She hadn't even considered trying to ask yet. She was bewildered, but the surprise was quickly surpassed with joy, and before Erza could stop herself, she leaned forwards to encompass Natsu with her arms, pulling him into a warm, if not so comfortable, hug, due to her armor and his wings. It was a moment of vulnerability for her, but she could care less.

Natsu protested for a moment, almost looking panicked, before realizing she was showing an act of affection. He did not put his arms around her, rather just sat there awkwardly. Erza was fine with that. At least he accepted the gesture rather than freaking out as he would have done just a week ago.

Finally, she pulled away, and Erza tried to convey all her emotion through one of the few words that Natsu knew.

"Yes."

Natsu's eyes light up, and for the first time since she had met him, Erza witnessed the biggest, goofiest grin she had ever seen in her life break out on Natsu's face.

He pointed at her, and then at himself, his smile wide and gaze hopeful.

"Nakama?"

Erza laughed, nodding her head in confirmation.

Natsu said nothing back, enjoying the feeling of acceptance that had probably been missing from his life for a long time. Natsu looked happy, more than happy. He looked like he was ready to spring up and fly around the guild. It made Erza happy just to witness his joy, it was infectious.

She could see him fitting in to the guild perfectly.

Natsu suddenly grabbed her hand, pulling her away from the bed and out the infirmary door. He pulled her towards the railing, not nervous at all as he leaned over the railing, in full sight of everybody below.

Erza didn't have time to ask him what he was doing as he pulled her up next to him. His feet were planted between the slats in the railing, and he was beaming excitedly at the crowd down below. He waved to someone who passed directly below, and they waved back in bewilderment, not used to seeing the pink haired out and about.

Erza was just as bewildered, only able to watch as Natsu shouted greeting to everyone below. The news quickly spread that Natsu was present in the main guild, and people began walking by to say hello.

Natsu quickly grew tired of the confines of the upper floor, and after some urging from Elfman and Cana from down below, he made his way down the stairs to be greeted by the crowd of mages down below.

Erza looked on as he was absorbed into the folds of the guild. He shook the hands of many, the only way he knew how to greet them at the moment, and people introduced themselves enthusiastically, shaking his hand and patting him on the shoulder.

A part of Erza was as happy as everyone else, while another part of her was upset by the fact that Natsu wasn't even nervous as he was swallowed by the crowd. She had taken time to get to know the boy, careful of her every move, and now practically everyone in the guild was at the exact same point as her.

But that was the price of success, she supposed. Her attempts to integrate Natsu into the guild had been met with a huge success. She was happy, yes, but bittersweet nonetheless.

She distracted herself from the feeling by taking in the hype that was rising in the guild. The adults were requesting drinks, and Natsu had been hefted up on Gildarts shoulders, the guild celebrating the acceptance of a new member. It wouldn't be official until Makarov got back and approved him, but when the party started in Fairy Tail, it was official. Still, Erza had no doubt that they would be celebrating again very soon.

**Yaaaaaay! Done! **

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**Jalis: Here. Stop making me feel guilty T-T**

**Natsuki D: Soon? Ha!**

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**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review and read on my Lovelies!**


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys! So I have realized that I am just a horrible person. I have started so many stories, but am unable to update them at an acceptably frequent rate. I am sorry to say that all stories except for Unbroken and 7D,7M,7Y will be put on Hiatus. I am extremely busy this year, so I need to prioritize. These two stories are my most popular ones, so I'll stick with them. Sorry everyone.

-Asrith33


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